Accidents
by GrandEmpress13
Summary: Sometimes life goes wrong and you just need someone to be there for you.
1. Chapter 1

Accidents

Sarah Jane sat curled on the lounge sofa in the attic, reading a book silently. Today was a day all to herself; Luke and Clyde were out and Rani had lots of homework to do. Sarah picked up her tea cup, blowing on it as it was still steaming hot. Just as Sarah was about to take a sip, the attic door flung open. Sarah Jane gasped, her book falling off her lap as she grasped her tea cup with both hands to stop it from spilling. She looked up at the person who had disturbed her quiet afternoon, expecting it to be the boys; she was going to have a stern talk to them about bursting into rooms without knocking first. But instead of the boys, there stood Rani, breathing heavily, her face tear streaked.

"Rani, what's the matter?" Sarah Jane placed her tea on the side table. She picked up her book off the floor and walked over to the young girl.

"Sarah Jane I…" She tried to complete her sentence but broke into tears before she could finish. Sarah Jane immediately enveloped her into a hug. Rani instantly reacted, wrapping her arms around Sarah and clinging to her tightly. Sarah rubbed a hand up and down the young girl's back, trying to soothe her. She pulled away from Rani, taking her hand and silently led her to the lounge sofa. They sat down, Rani resting her head on Sarah Jane's shoulder, while Sarah wrapped her arm around Rani's shoulder.

"Rani sweetheart, what's the matter?" Rani's lip trembled and she took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.

"Last month I went to Brianna Gomez's party. I took a ride with Brad-"

"Who's Brad?" Sarah Jane asked. Rani scowled.

"He was this boy I liked."

"You don't like him anymore?"

"No." She said roughly, looking down. "Brad said he like me and he wanted to take me to the party. Mum and Dad like him so they were happy to let me go with him." Sarah Jane sat quietly, letting Rani tell her story.

"Brad took me to the party. We went in together, but separated after a couple of minutes. I found some of my girlfriends and we ended up talking. Brad showed up and gave me a drink he got from the kitchen…he spiked the damn drink." Sarah Jane's eyes widened as she listen to Rani.

"Oh, Rani…" She said, rubbing her hand up and down the girl's arm.

"He gave me another and another. The next thing I know, we're stumbling into a bedroom…" Sarah quickly realized where this was heading.

"You had sex with this Brad boy didn't you?" She stated softly. Rani's lip quivered again and a few stray tears ran down her cheeks as she nodded.

"He said he loved me! But all he really wanted to do was have sex with me…" She whispered. Sarah Jane pulled Rani close.

"I'm sorry, Rani." Rani sniffed loudly.

"But that's not the worst part though!" She cried, sitting up straight and covering her face with her hands. Sarah put a hand on Rani's lower back.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is." Sarah Jane said calmly. Rani turned to face her, fear in her eyes.

"But it is; I'm pregnant!" Sarah froze; Rani was not her daughter but she treated her as such and never imagined this kind of thing would happen to her. Needless to say, she was shocked. Sarah Jane looked over to Rani who was staring at her.

"Please say something. Anything, please." She whispered. Sarah blinked and took a deep breath.

"Did you not use protection?" She asks slowly. Rani shook her head quickly.

"I wasn't on any kind of birth control; I wasn't planning on having sex with anyone!"

"And Brad?"

"I can't remember! That night is so fuzzy! I can't remember!" Rani started to cry again and Sarah Jane once again pulled her into a hug. Rani buried her face into Sarah's shoulder.

"Have you told your parents?" She asked gently. Rani's cries rose in volume and she clutched Sarah tighter, moving to rest her chin on Sarah Jane's shoulder.

"I-I-I told t-them, and…and they kicked me out! I to-told them it was an accident, I didn't plan on it, I didn't even want to have sex! B-b-but Dad wouldn't have it! He let m-me pack a bag and told me he didn't want to see me again!" Rani wailed. Sarah could feel Rani's tears soaking through her shirt and Sarah Jane felt her heart ache for this young girl. She knew that Rani was a good girl and this was devastating. Finally, after a long time of crying and soothing words being whispered, Sarah Jane spoke up.

"Rani, you can live with Luke and I if you'd like…" Rani backed away and looked at her with wide eyes.

"Really? Do you really mean that?" Sarah smiled softly and cupped the young girl's cheek.

"Of course, sweetheart. You can stay here as long as you like." Rani flung herself at Sarah Jane.

"Thank you so much." She whispered.

* * *

**I believe I shall continue this for a couple of chapters…maybe….probably…**


	2. Chapter 2

Accidents Chapter 2

Luke and Clyde rushed in the front door, arms filled with several bags filled with food and clothes.

"Mum! We're home!" Luke shouted.

"I'll be right down!" She called back from upstairs.

Sarah Jane was sitting on the bed in one the spare rooms, Rani beside her. They had brought Rani's bags upstairs and had already filled the drawers with her clothing.

"Are you sure this room do?" Sarah asked gently. Rani nodded slowly. Sarah put her hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"Because if it's not there are plenty of other rooms-"

"No, Sarah Jane it's fine, really; it's a lovely room, thank you very much." Rani said slowly, her gaze glued to the wall. Sarah Jane reached out and grasped Rani's chin, forcing her to look at Sarah.

"Rani, everything will be alright. I promise you;" Sarah took Rani's hand in hers and squeezed it lightly. "I will be there for you every step of the way." Rani opened her mouth to say something when Luke shouted from downstairs.

"Mum! Are you coming?!" Sarah closed her eyes and sighed. She stood, put a reassuring hand on Rani's shoulder and kissed the top of her head. She moved to the doorframe and turned back to Rani.

"Come down when you're ready." Rani just nodded mutely.

Sarah headed downstairs and into the kitchen where she could hear the boys making a racket. When she entered the kitchen she saw Luke sitting on the counter talking to Clyde, who was standing in front of the stove mixing something in a pot. He quickly moved to the fridge, swung the door open, grabbed a few vegetables, slammed the door, and dropped the vegetables on the cutting board. Clyde grabbed a long sharp knife from the drawer closest to fridge and began chopping.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Clyde looked up at Sarah Jane and smiled brightly. Luke smiled almost as brightly.

"Clyde's making stew!"

"Stew?" Sarah questioned, moving across the kitchen. She grabbed Luke's hand and yanked him off the counter.

"No sitting on the counter top." She scolded lightly, before peering into the large pot on stove. "So…what's in this stew?" Clyde brought over the cutting board, piled high with assorted vegetables.

"Well," He said, dumping them into the pot. "We've got onions, potatoes, carrots, and celery. And I'm frying beef to go in it as well." Sarah peered behind the large pot to the element behind it. Sure enough, there was a small frying pan filled with meat.

"Well Clyde, it looks and smells delicious!" Sarah Jane smiled, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Clyde smiled.

"I'm not just another pretty face, you know!" Sarah laughed and moved to the cupboard to retrieve a glass. She then maneuvered around Clyde and Luke and snatched the water pitcher from the fridge, pouring herself a glass of water. When Sarah Jane closed the fridge movement caught the corner of her eye. Sarah looked up and saw Rani about enter the kitchen. Rani paused at the doorway to the kitchen and put a hand to her mouth. Her eyes went wide and she back away from the kitchen. Sarah quickly followed her and found her sitting on the couch in the living area.

"Rani, are you alright?" Sarah asked, sitting down beside the girl. Rani shook her head.

"I walked into the kitchen and…I-I was overwhelmed by the smells in the kitchen. I thought I was going to be sick, I had to get out…" Sarah handed Rani her glass of water. Rani gladly took the glass and took a long sip.

"Better?" Sarah Jane asked. Rani nodded. Sarah put a hand on Rani's knee.

"Do you…do you know how far along you are?" Sarah whispered, asking the one question that had been on her mind since Rani had told Sarah that she was pregnant. Rani clasped the glass of water in both hands and stared intensely at glass.

"Three weeks." She whispered back. Sarah squeezed Rani's knee.

"Alright, it's good that you know that. Tomorrow morning I'll do some research; find out what we can expect in the next couple months."

"We?" Rani asked quietly.

"Yes Rani. You and I; we will go through this together." Sarah said softly but confidently. Rani's eyes filled with tears and she smiled sadly.

"You are too good to me." Rani responded. Sarah Jane smiled back.

"You're worth it."

"Sarah Jane! Dinner's ready!" Clyde's head popped from around kitchen doorway. When he saw Rani, Clyde's face filled with confusion.

"Rani? How look have you been here?" Sarah stood up quickly, looking from Rani to Clyde.

"She was upstairs in the attic, working on homework." Clyde nodded slowly.

"It's all good. The stew I made could feed eight people." Clyde disappeared back into the kitchen, Sarah Jane and Rani following. Luke was setting the table, placing spoons around each of the place mats.

"Oh hey Rani! Mum, would you like water or milk to drink with dinner?"

"I'll have water, thank you Luke." Luke nodded and filled the glass at Sarah's place with water.

"Rani, what would you like to drink with dinner?" Rani raised her glass slightly.

"I'll just stick with water, thanks Luke." Luke nodded silently and everyone sat down. Clyde moved around the table passing the bowls of stew to everyone.

"Careful; it's very hot." He warned, coming to sit down. Sarah dipped her spoon into the stew and blew on it several times. She then experimentally took a bite. Even though she had blown on the spoonful, it was still quite hot. Sarah swallowed quickly, and took a long sip of water.

"I told you it was hot." Clyde smiled, blowing on his stew.

"It may be hot, but it is delicious."

"Thanks Sarah Jane." Everyone continued to eat, making small talk. Sarah looked over to Rani, who was pushing her stew around her bowl. She took a spoonful of the stew and put in her mouth. She swallowed and went to take another spoonful. She brought it to her lips, but dropped it before she got the stew in her mouth. Rani's eyes went wide and she quickly stood up, almost knocking her chair over as she shot out of the kitchen. Sarah got up almost as quickly.

"Mum what-"

"I'll be right back boys." She said, leaving the room. Sarah moved to the front hallway where could hear the sound of retching. Sarah Jane hurried to the downstairs bathroom and found Rani leaning over the toilet. Sarah quickly grabbed a hair elastic from the wooden cupboard hanging on the wall beside the bathroom door. She knelt beside Rani, tying her long dark locks away from her face. Sarah Jane rubbed a hand up and down Rani's back until she stopped vomiting. Rani backed away from the toilet and leaned her head against Sarah's shoulder.

"I knew I couldn't eat Clyde's stew…the smell of it alone made me want to be sick. But I didn't want to be rude, Clyde worked so hard on making dinner…" Sarah Jane wrapped her arm around Rani's shoulder and stood, pulling her with her. She flushed the toilet and guided Rani to the stairs.

"You go upstairs, clean up and lie down; I'll talk to the boys."

"You won't tell them will you?" She whispered, quite alarmed.

"Oh sweetheart, no! I won't tell them! That's something that you will do in your own time." Rani nodded, giving Sarah a quick hug before heading upstairs. Sarah Jane watched her go before making her way back to the kitchen. She found Luke and Clyde sitting quietly waiting for her.

"What's wrong with Rani?" Luke asked before Sarah even got to the table.

"She has a stomach bug." Sarah replied smoothly.

"So it wasn't my stew that made her sick?" Clyde asked worried.

"Oh no Clyde!" Sarah Jane said, picking up Rani's bowl and placing it by the sink. "No, she's just a little under the weather. She's gone to rest upstairs. I'm just going to pop across the street and let her parents know. I'll be right back." Both boys nodded as Sarah left the kitchen. She grabbed her jacket from the front hall and left the house, walking across the street. Sarah paused before she walked up to the door; she very much wanted to yell at Haresh and Gita, but it was not her place to do so.

She rapped against the door three times and was about to go for a fourth when the door swung open quite quickly. Gita stood there smiling. Upon seeing Sarah Jane though, her smile flickered into a frown for a moment before returning back to a smile.

"Hello Sarah. What can I do for you?" Sarah Jane smiled as sweetly as she could; right now was not about her and her name, but about Rani.

"Hello Gita. I just thought you and Haresh should know that Rani is at my house right now. She's safe and sound, although a wee bit sick." Haresh showed up, standing behind his wife.

"She's at your house?" Haresh questioned. The question sounded simple enough but Sarah knew what he was really asking.

"Yes; Rani has told me everything and I have decided to let her live with me." Gita nodded slowly and Haresh disappeared. Right as Sarah Jane was going to ask where he went, Haresh came back with a big cardboard box.

"These are the rest of her things." He said shoving the box at Sarah. She waited for Haresh to say more, but instead he just walked away, this time not returning. Gita started to close the door on Sarah but stopped just before she closed it completely.

"Take care of her Sarah." She whispered and for just the briefest instant Sarah Jane thought she could see that Gita did not agree with her husband's decision. But before she could decide the door was slammed shut.

Sarah made her way back across the street and into the house. She brought the box filled with Rani's things up to Rani's room, quietly cracking open the door. The young girl was asleep so Sarah crept as quietly as she could and placed the box at the end of the bed. She moved to look at Rani, pulling the covers up and giving her a kiss on the head. She left the door open just a sliver and headed back downstairs.

The boys had already cleaned up the kitchen and were watching television in the living area. Clyde turned around when he heard Sarah come in.

"I put your stew in a separate container if you want to heat it up." Sarah smiled.

"That's very kind of you Clyde." She looked down at her watch. "Shouldn't you be heading home?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I wanted to see if Rani's alright."

"Well, she's fallen asleep, so why don't you come and check on her tomorrow?" Clyde nodded and got up from the couch.

"Alright then. Goodnight Lukey boy! Goodnight Sarah Jane!" He said, grabbing his coat.

"Goodnight Clyde, and thank you for making dinner tonight!" Sarah called as he headed out the door.

"Is Rani going to be okay?" Luke asked as Sarah sat next to him on the couch. She nodded.

"I think it may take a little bit, but Rani will be okay." She answered.

Several hours later, Sarah Jane was heading to bed. She checked in on Luke, who was fast asleep and snoring quite loudly. Sarah closed his door and peeked in on Rani. She too, was fast asleep. Rani looked peaceful while she slept as if she didn't have a care in the world.

'_The next couple of weeks are going to be very hard on her_.' Sarah thought. '_Not to mention the next nine months_.'


	3. Chapter 3

Accidents Chapter 3

**Right then. This is a relatively short chapter because I didn't want to link what happens in this chapter to what happens in the next chapter.**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: This chapter talks about abortion. If that is not your thing or you have huge issues with it, don't read. I promise you won't miss much. All abortion talk is close to the end if you just want to skip over it. The last line or two of this chapter tell you all you need to know; you can just read that.**

**ALSO! Please note that this chapter does not show my personal views on the subject of abortion.**

* * *

Sarah woke up early the next morning; she was a morning person to begin with, but it didn't help that she had a lot on her mind. She quietly headed downstairs for some tea.

After speaking with Haresh and Gita last night, Sarah realized what she had really signed up for. She did not regret telling Rani she could live with her; she would certainly rather have the young girl safe in her home than out on the streets on her own. But Sarah Jane knew that allowing Rani to live with her and Luke would change all of their lives greatly.

Not only would Sarah be feeding Rani and her baby for the next nine months, but there would be other things that needed taking care of such as prenatal vitamins and baby supplies. And then there would be the matter of relationships. Rani's relationship with her parents may be ruined forever, the children at school and even some of the teachers would judge her; and what of that Brad boy? Rani would have to confront him at some point, whether she liked it or not. That left Clyde and Luke. How would they react? She had faith that the boys would not judge Rani, but would their relationships change all the same? Would there forever be a tension between them?

As Sarah Jane poured her tea, another thought came to her.

'_What if Rani doesn't want to keep the baby? What if she wants to have an abortion or give the baby up for adoption?_' Sarah sighed. This was not something she thought she would ever have to think about, let alone having to talk about it. Sarah knew she would have to ask Rani about it, which she felt horrible about. Sarah Jane felt like she was constantly questioning the girl these days; and the questions weren't easy ones either. On the other hand, these questions had to be asked. Rani would be faced with a lot of difficult decisions in the near future whether she liked it or not.

Sarah moved quietly into the living area. She paused, deciding whether to head up to the attic or not.

'_I don't want to wake anyone; I'll just curl up on the couch with a good book.' _ Sarah Jane set her tea down on the side table and walked over to the book shelf. She looked up and down the bookcase, eventually settling on '_The short stories of H.G. Wells_.' She plopped down on the couch, pulling a fuzzy blanket around herself, and began to read.

After what seemed like only minutes, Sarah heard someone coming down the stairs.

"Morning Mum." Luke said, coming to sit beside Sarah Jane. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"What are you doing up at five thirty in the morning?" She asked. Luke looked back at her confused.

"Early? Mum, it's eight thirty in the morning."

"Is it?" Sarah looked around the room for a clock. Luke looked at her quizzically.

"What are you doing up at five thirty in the morning?" He asked. Sarah put her book down and looked in her empty tea cup, which was sitting on the coffee table.

"I was having trouble sleeping." She stated. Luke nodded quietly before speaking again.

"Why is Rani asleep in the spare room?"

"She fell asleep after she was sick last night. I let her parents know that she would spend the night with us." Luke nodded, clearing wanting to say something, but he seemed conflicted about speaking his thoughts. Sarah Jane put a motherly arm around his shoulder.

"What's the matter?" She asked gently. Luke looked her directly in the eyes.

"Something's wrong with Rani." He stated simply yet confidently. Sarah struggled to keep her reaction neutral. She should have known this was coming; Luke was a very bright boy who picked up on things other missed.

"Well, she wasn't feeling well last night. She might be getting a bug." Sarah's son shook his head, determination crossing his face.

"No, it's not just that. In the last week or so, Rani's been…she's been different."

"Really?" Sarah Jane said slowly, "How so?"

"I don't know exactly, but something's off." Sarah was just about to speak when she heard footsteps trudging down the stairs.

"Why don't you go make some tea?"

"But…" Luke began to protest.

"We can talk about it later." Sarah said sternly.

"Alright." Luke stood and after picking up Sarah's cup, headed into the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" Rani mumbled as she made her way into the living room and sat down beside Sarah. Sarah Jane sighed and took Rani's hand.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked, changing the subject. The girl nodded.

"After dinner, I was only sick once more before I fell asleep." She paused before continuing. "Did you come into my room last night?" Sarah nodded, deciding where to start.

"I went across the street to tell your parents where you were." Rani's eyes went wide.

"Really? What did they say?" She asked desperately, clutching at Sarah's hand. Sarah looked down at their entwined hands.

"Your Dad gave me a box filled with the rest of your things." She said quietly. Rani let out tiny sob. Sarah Jane put her free hand on Rani's back, rubbing in between her shoulder blades.

"Your mother told me to take care of you." She continued. "She still cares about you Rani."

"Not enough to say something to Dad." Rani whispered harshly. For a minute the two sat in silence.

"I put the box at the end of your bed." Sarah said finally.

"Thanks."

"Tea's almost ready!" Luke shouted from the kitchen. Sarah looked at the kitchen doorway from a second before looking back at Rani, who was wiping away her tears.

"You need to tell Luke and Clyde." Sarah Jane stated.

"I-I can't! I'm not ready!" She cried quietly.

"Luke knows something isn't right."

"What?!" Sarah continued to rub her hand in circles in between Rani's shoulders.

"Just before you came down, Luke told me; he's noticed you've been acting strange. He's just worried about you." Rani shook her head violently.

"I'm not ready!"

"Not ready for what?" Luke questioned, entering the room with two cups of tea.

"Nothing." Rani stated quickly. When Luke didn't look convinced, Rani added, "It's a girl thing." Luke nodded slowly and turned to face Sarah Jane.

"Clyde texted me; he wants me to come over. Can I go?" Sarah nodded. Luke smiled, rushed over to Sarah Jane, kissed her cheek and dashed out of the living room.

"Thanks Mum! You're the best!" He called as he thundered upstairs. Luke was back downstairs within five minutes.

"Bye!" He shouted.

"Be careful! And be home by lunch!" Sarah called after him. Rani had moved into the kitchen, and Sarah followed after locking the door behind Luke.

Rani stood at the counter, shakily pouring more tea into her cup.

"I'm not ready." She whispered.

"I know." Sarah said gently from the doorway. "But when you're still here tonight, Luke will ask questions." Rani looked up her.

"But I always stay late; so does Clyde."

"But you never sleep over. Last night was one thing; you were sick. But tonight…" She trailed off. Rani braced herself against the counter and sighed.

"You're right; you usually are." Rani said finally. Sarah moved across the kitchen and placed her cup in the sink, leaning against the counter when she was done. Both she and Rani faced the kitchen doorway, not looking at each other.

"You know," Sarah started. "You wouldn't have to tell the boys if…"

"If what?!" Rani asked desperate for an answer.

"Do you know what you're going to do with the baby?" Sarah Jane asked.

"What do you mean?" Rani asked, confused. Sarah sighed deeply.

"You have options, Rani. About what you can do. You can keep the baby, put it up for adoption or-"

"Abort it." Rani finished tightly. After a moment she said, "Would you hate me if I did?"

"No." Sarah said immediately. Rani scoffed.

"You say that, but I don't think you mean it." Sarah moved closer and put a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I would never hate you Rani."

"Not openly. But secretly you would. You value all life and you always say that killing is never right." Sarah Jane squeezed Rani's shoulder.

"That is true. But this baby is yours and it is your decision, not mine."

"But you still hate me. Sure, you would drive me to the clinic; hold my hand during the procedure, telling me everything would be fine. But you as you held my hand you would be mentally screaming at me to stop. You may even let me continue to live with you if my parents didn't take me back. But everything would change. You would always hate me for taking a defenseless baby's life. And…I can't lose you; I've lost my Mum and Dad…but I can't lose you." She ended in a whisper. By now Rani was looking down at her hands, which were softly cupping her stomach. Sarah moved her hand to Rani's other shoulder and pulled her close.

"Would you hate yourself?" She asked. Rani still wouldn't look at her, but Sarah could see her bottom lip tremble. A stray tear fell down her face and she nodded.

"I just want this to all go away…" More tears fell. "But…I can't! Sarah Jane I can't kill this baby!" Sarah Jane pulled Rani into a hug.

"You don't have to! The decision is yours to make."

"I'm going to keep the baby." Rani whispered into Sarah's shoulder. Sarah ran her hand up and down Rani's back, something she was doing a lot lately, something she guessed she would be doing a lot in the next nine months.


	4. Chapter 4

Accidents Chapter 4

**In which Rani tells Luke and Clyde…**

**So I accidently put nineteen instead of sixteen for Rani's age because I had needed her actual age part way through the story and I forgot to change it! But I've fixed my mistake. Rani IS sixteen, and the year is 2009.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Rani sat on the sofa in the attic, reading a book while Sarah Jane typed up an article on the computer. But the thing was, Rani wasn't really reading the book; she was just staring at the page, not taking in the words at all. She was waiting; waiting for the boys to come home. Rani and Sarah hadn't talked about the baby since their chat that morning. But they both knew that the boys had to be told; and they had to be told today.

'_You can do this. You can do this._' She told herself over and over. '_Luke and Clyde won't judge you; they're you're friends. Your BEST friends._' Rani had spent all day reassuring herself, and she felt like she was ready to tell them. However, when Luke and Clyde exploded into the attic, Rani froze.

"We're back!" Luke all but screamed. Sarah Jane winced and stopped typing.

"Yes, I can see _and_ hear that." She replied from her chair as she started typing again.

"Hey Sarah Jane!" Clyde exclaimed, hugging Sarah Jane from behind. "What are you working on?" Sarah hugged Clyde's arm and smiled as Clyde read over her shoulder.

"I'm writing an article to explain the Pibranx plants we took care of last week."

"And what did you say?" He inquired. Sarah smiled again.

"I said that some leftover chemicals from the warehouse's previous owners mixed with some plants in the area."

"Are they going to buy it?" Clyde asked. Sarah shrugged.

"Let's hope." Sarah Jane stood up and Clyde headed over to his sketching area where Luke was playing with some of Clyde's pencils.

"Oi! Don't touch those! You'll break them!" Rani looked up from her book. It was now or never. She moved to stand beside Sarah.

"I'm going to tell them." She whispered. "Would you mind giving us a moment?" Sarah Jane turned to her.

"Are you sure you don't want me with you?" Rani nodded.

"I'm sure." Sarah nodded as well and put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Good luck; I'll be downstairs if you need me." Sarah Jane left the attic, and suddenly the three teenagers were alone. Rani went down the two steps and watched as Luke glanced over Clyde's shoulder as Clyde was sketching something.

"I need to tell you two something." Rani blurted after a minute. Clyde and Luke both looked up at her expectantly.

"Well?" Clyde asked. Rani took a deep breath.

"Last month, I went to a party with Brad Collins; he got me drunk…" Clyde's eyes went wide.

"You got drunk? I'd have loved to see that!" Both boys laughed. Rani could feel tears beginning to come to her eyes, knowing what she had to say next.

"I'm pregnant." She said loudly to be heard over the boy's laughter. Both Clyde and Luke immediately stopped laughing.

"What?" Clyde whispered.

"Brad got me pregnant." She replied, trying to sound strong. Everyone was frozen where they were for several moments. Then, suddenly, Clyde shot up from his chair. He moved to stand in front of Rani; sadness and anger clouding his face.

"You…I…I can't…" Clyde burst up the stair and out of the attic. Rani looked up at the roof, a few tears escaping. She turned to the door.

"Clyde wait!" She cried and fled after him.

* * *

Sarah Jane was in her room when she heard footsteps pounding down the stairs. Clyde ran by first, followed moments later by Rani. Sarah waited to see Luke, but he didn't come down. Sarah Jane headed upstairs to see what he was doing.

"Luke? Are you up here?" She asked, pushing the attic door open. Luke was sitting on the steps of the attic. He turned to Sarah Jane a look of complete understanding on his face.

"That's why Rani was sick last night." Sarah nodded and came to sit down beside her son. Luke looked her over once more before speaking.

"You knew about Rani already." It was a statement not a question.

"Yes." Sarah answered. "Rani will be living with us for a while." She continued after a moment.

"Why?" Luke asked. Sarah Jane put her arm around Luke and sighed.

"Her parents kicked her out of the house when they found out she was pregnant."

"Why would they that? Babies are good, aren't they? They make people happy." He asked again, genuinely confused.

"Well," Sarah started, "babies are a good thing, and you're right; they do make people happy. But Rani is only sixteen, and she has her whole life ahead of her. A baby-a baby could cause issues. Rani has chosen to keep the baby-"

"What else can she do with it?" Luke queried. Sarah sighed inwardly.

"Did you not pay attention in your sexual education course?" Sarah Jane asked her son.

"I already know how babies are made." He answered.

"Luke there is more to that class than knowing how babies are made." She sighed. "For example, they teach about protection, and they _should_ briefly mention the options a girl has if she gets pregnant."

"And they are?"

"You can either keep the baby, put it up for adoption, or you can abort the baby."

"Abort; Terminate. You can kill the baby?"

"Yes; yes you can. But Rani has chosen to keep the baby and this can and probably will get in the way of her education, which will probably change the rest of her life." Luke nodded, contemplating his mother's words.

"So…Rani's parents kicked her out because she's pregnant and she refused to kill her baby?" Sarah Jane sighed again. Luke always saw life in its simplest form; this made him a genius, but it also made explaining complicated life situations, well, complicated.

"Parents love their children more than anything in the universe. But parents just expect that their children can do no wrong; we expect that because…because we hope we've taught our children to do the right thing. Sometimes, when parents realize their children are not perfect, they…get very upset. And sometimes, it's because the child has done something the parents believe is wrong. Sometimes it's doing drugs, drinking alcohol, or-"

"Getting pregnant." Luke finished for her.

"Right. Rani's parents probably have a strong belief that getting pregnant at sixteen is wrong."

"So she'll be living with us until she has the baby?"

"Maybe…maybe longer. It all depends on if her parents let her live with them again." Luke nodded and then he smiled.

"Having Rani live with us is going to be so much fun." Sarah couldn't help letting out short laugh that escaped her as she hugged her son.

* * *

Rani raced down the stairs and burst out the front door.

"Clyde wait!" She screamed. Clyde stopped in the middle of the driveway. Rani moved to stand behind him.

"Clyde, please. Look at me…or at least say something." Rani begged in a whisper. Clyde took a deep breath, his whole body shaking. Finally, when he turned to her Rani could see Clyde had tears in his eyes. He blinked them back and took another deep breath.

"I-I can't believe…you had sex with Brad."

"Clyde, I…"

"I care about you!" He exploded. "I really care about you!"

"What?" She whispered.

"Since the first time I met you! I thought you were the prettiest girl at Park Vale! It was only when you started working with us that I realized you were beautiful on the inside too! And lately, I thought you felt the same way about me! But I guess I was wrong!"

"I didn't know you felt like that…" She replied meekly.

"You never cared! All you cared about was what Brad liked and what he wanted!" Suddenly, Rani felt an anger overwhelming her.

"How do you think I feel? I _trusted_ him! I only went out with him because he was the only boy at school to give me any attention!" This time it was Clyde's turn to reply quietly.

"Rani…"

"And now what?! I've lost my virginity and I can't even remember it! He got me pregnant and because of that, my parents kicked me out of my home and I've had to move in with Sarah Jane! Brad doesn't know yet, but I'm pretty sure he won't give a damn about the baby! I have to go to school and face ridicule because I've decided to keep the baby! My life is ruined!" Her anger had faded throughout the course of her short speech and Rani was now crying. By this point, Clyde's anger had dissipated as well. He stood froze for several moments before he quickly moved forward, enveloping Rani into a massive hug.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you." He whispered after a moment. "I should have been thinking about you and what you're going through."

"I'm sorry too;" Rani whispered, clutching Clyde tightly to her. "I should have considered your feelings before telling you. I've just been so focused on me."

"And you should be; your whole world has been thrown upside down and sideways." Rani nodded against his shoulder.

"But don't you worry; if anyone gives you grief at school, Luke and I will beat them up." Rani laughed and stepped back, wiping her tears away.

"Thank you." She said, laughing. Suddenly, a realization came over Rani.

"Luke! We left him alone upstairs!" She exclaimed. Clyde smiled and headed back towards the house. Rani began to follow, but stopped when she heard a voice.

"It was nice seeing you too Dianna!" Gita's voice called from across the road. Rani took a couple steps forward, peaking across the street. Her mother was waving as a red car pulled away from the house. Rani was about to walk back to Sarah Jane's house when Gita looked across the street, catching Rani's eye. Both Chandras froze; just staring at each other.

As Rani stared at her mother across the street, she found herself thinking of all the things she wanted to say to her.

'_Why? Why did you kick me out? I thought you loved me! I made a mistake; I trusted someone that I shouldn't have! You and Dad trusted him as well! I've made mistakes before, why is this one so unforgivable? Is it so wrong that I've decided not to kill my baby? You're my Mum! Why didn't defend me? Why did you let Dad throw me out? You said you would always be there for me!_' But as Rani gazed across the street at her mother, she found she couldn't speak.

Suddenly, Gita spun away and headed back towards the house. Rani didn't move from her spot in the driveway until her mother had entered the house and slammed the door behind her. Rani looked at the spot where her mother had been and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and headed back into Sarah Jane's house to join the others.

* * *

It was long after dinner; Clyde had gone home, Sarah Jane was upstairs finishing her article and Luke and Rani were downstairs watching television.

"Are you happy?" Luke asked all of a sudden.

"About what?" Rani asked absent mindedly.

"The baby." Rani cast her gaze sideways for a brief moment; Luke was still looking at the telly. Rani directed her stare back to the television.

"I don't know yet."

"Why?"

"I didn't plan to get pregnant. I don't exactly want this baby."

"But you love it enough to not kill it."

"Every life is important and this baby didn't do anything wrong. He or she doesn't deserve to die."

"Are you upset that your parents kicked you out?" Rani closed her eyes for a moment.

"Yes and no." Luke turned his head to look at Rani.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"There's a part of me that's really angry at my parents; my Dad has made mistakes and yet he kicks me out of the house for the one I make?" Rani's voice grew bitter. "And my Mum should have stood up to him. I'm also sad because this is the kind of thing I thought my Mum would be able to help me through, instead she will be across the street, unable to look at me." She let out a deep sigh. "But there's a part of me that's okay with their kicking me out."

"Why?" He asked again. Rani turned to face Luke.

"A part of me is okay with it…because-because even though I don't have my Mum to help through this, I have the next closest thing; I have Sarah Jane. And you. And Clyde. I have family who _will_ help me through this." After a minute, Luke smiled.

"I'm going to like having you around all the time." Rani rolled her eyes and turned back to the telly.

"Just wait until I'm a raging hormone machine."

"I don't care; I'm just glad you're safe with us instead of out on the street all alone." Rani slowly turned her head to look a Luke, who had his eyes glue to the TV screen. She knew this was his way of saying that he was okay with her pregnancy; Luke for all his intelligence wasn't good with words. Rani leaned over and silently gave him a hug.

"Thank you." She whispered. Luke awkwardly wrapped an arm around her and nodded. Together they laid like that until a voice interrupted them.

"What are you two still doing up?" Sarah Jane cried as she entered the living room. "You two have school tomorrow!"

"But Mum…" Luke moaned. Sarah Jane put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, daring her son to argue. Luke dropped the argument and got up from the couch. Rani followed suit and the two made their way to the stairs. Just as Rani was about to leave the living area, Sarah Jane caught her elbow.

"Is everything good?" She asked simply. Rani nodded.

"Everything's good. Until tomorrow, that is." Both Rani and Sarah sighed as Sarah Jane pulled Rani into a brief hug.

"Nothing they have to say will matter." She assured. "You need to remember that. Just know all that matters is what Luke, Clyde and I think. You've done nothing wrong and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Rani nodded.

"I'll try." Sarah Jane stepped back and turned Rani towards the stairs.

"Get a goodnight sleep. You'll need it." Rani nodded again and headed upstairs, severely dreading going to school tomorrow.

* * *

**What will happen to Rani at school?! Find out in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

Accidents Chapter 5

**Not my best, but it's alright...I promise the next chapter is better!**

* * *

"Rani! We're going to be late!" Luke called from downstairs on Monday morning.

'_I don't want to go._' She thought. '_I'm_ afraid _to go._' She realized suddenly, staring at herself in the mirror. Rani knew her fears were irrational; no one was going to find out. Rani wasn't planning on going to school and blurting out her news.

'_No one will find out. I'm not going to say anything to anyone; neither will Clyde or Luke. There's no way in Hell Dad's going to say anything. Everything will be fine._' But no matter how many times she silently reassured herself, Rani couldn't bring herself to move.

Suddenly there was a soft knocking on the door and Rani jumped. Sarah Jane stood there in her robe, arms wrapped her middle.

"Are you alright?" She asked gently, an edge of concern in her voice.

"Would you let me stay home?" More concern crossed Sarah's face.

"Are you not feeling well?" She asked, making her way across the room, putting a hand on Rani's forehead. Rani looked at the floor.

"I'm fine; I just don't want to go to school." Sarah Jane sighed, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm not letting you stay home just because you don't want to go to school." She said sternly but gently.

"I knew you would say that." Rani sighed dejectedly.

"You have to go to school at some point, you know that."

"I know." Sarah slowly guided Rani out of her room and down the hall. "Besides, nothing is going to happen. No one knows anything; it will be fine." Rani nodded as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She grabbed her backpack and headed out the front door and down the drive where Luke was waiting for her.

"Have a good day!" Sarah Jane called from the door, waving. Luke waved back.

"Thanks Mum!" He yelled back as he walked away with Rani.

* * *

Rani was sitting in her first period science class, trying her hardest to focus. The teacher was talking about the rats they were going to dissect today and how to safely handle them.

'_Sarah Jane is right; no one will find out. How could they possible find out? I'm not saying anything. I want to keep this a secret as long as possible. But what about Luke and Clyde? Even though we made up, I feel like Clyde is still angry and disappointed. But would he be angry enough that he would tell his friends? What about his Mum? They're so close…_'

"Rani? You want to be my partner?" Alice whispered from two desks down. Rani looked up at her, pulled from her worried thoughts. Alice waited impatiently for an answer. Rani nodded, despondently. Alice smiled and turned back to her work, leaving Rani with her thoughts.

'_I don't think Luke will say anything; he has Sarah Jane to talk to_.' Rani looked over at Alice, who was scribbling down the few notes on the board.

'_Will Alice stay by my side when she finds out?_' Rani looked around the room. '_Will any of my friends be there for me?_'

* * *

By the time the bell rang for dismissal at the end of the day, Rani was a ball of pent up anxiety. The second the bell chimed, Rani felt an extreme sense of relief. She quickly left the classroom and headed to her locker, gathering all of her things.

"How was your day?" Clyde asked coming up to her.

"Fine. It was fine." She snapped.

"You alright?" Clyde asked, cautiously. Rani nodded quickly and sighed deeply.

"It's just been a long day. I'd just like to go home." Clyde put an arm around Rani's shoulder.

"Okay." He said, giving it a squeeze. Luke strolled up, falling in step with them.

"Hey guys! How was your day?" Clyde smiled.

"Great! In English class, Tammy Parker vomited all over the floor. Mr. Reynolds went over the help her and almost slipped! It made my day!" Clyde and Luke laughed loudly; Rani just focused on the door ahead of them and getting out of the school as soon as possible.

"In Math, Mrs. Jones just droned on and on about exponents. I already knew everything she was talking about; the class was is really quite boring." Luke said, sharing about his day. Clyde rolled his eyes.

"Only you could say something like that."

By the time the trio reached Bannerman Road, Rani just wanted to go upstairs and lock herself in her room. Walking up the road, she had to pause. Out of habit, she almost walked away from the boys and to her house; the place she used to live.

'_Will I ever be let back in my house?_' She wondered. Luke grabbed her hand and dragged Rani across the street before she had a chance to dwell on it further.

"Mum! We're home!" Luke cried before he and Clyde rushed to the kitchen for a snack.

"Do you want anything Rani?" Clyde asked from the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry; thanks though." She headed upstairs, into her new room and slammed the door. Rani dropped her bag on the floor and flopped onto the bed. She yelped when her back connected with something hard on the bed. Rani rolled over reaching behind her to pull at whatever was underneath her. It was a large book; Rani let her eyes gaze over the title.

'_What to Expect when You're Expecting_.' There was a woman on the cover of the book, smiling brightly, caressing her very pregnant stomach. Rani just stared at the woman for a long time before bolting upright and standing. She took one look at the book in her hand and then threw it back on the bed. Rani stormed out of her room and upstairs to the attic.

She found Sarah Jane sitting on the couch; glasses perched on her nose and book in hand. Sarah Jane shifted and Rani caught the title of the book.

'_What to Expect when You're Expecting._'

"You bought the book?" Rani said after a moment. Sarah Jane jumped; she hadn't notice Rani enter. She took off her glasses and placed the book down on the couch beside her.

"How was your day?" Sarah asked, smiling softly. Rani closed her eyes, putting up a finger, silencing Sarah Jane.

"You bought me '_What to Expect when You're Expecting_'? You bought two of them?" Sarah Jane looked at Rani, confused.

"After the dinner incident the other day, I wanted to know if your being sick was truly the fluke we though it was or if it's normal. I wanted to know what to expect. This is new territory for me too, Rani. I just want to be there for you, but I have to be prepared and so do you."

"Why didn't you ask me first?" Rani asked frustration evident in her voice. Sarah stood up and crossed the attic, coming to stand in front of Rani.

"Have-have I overstepped a boundary?" Sarah asked, searching Rani's eyes. Rani sighed and moved to sit on the attic steps. Sarah Jane followed, sitting beside her.

"You didn't overstep anything. I just…I'm not ready for any of this." Rani cried quietly, letting out a shaky breath. Sarah wrapped an arm around the young girl beside her, pulling her close. Rani leaned into the embrace, resting her head on Sarah Jane's shoulder and wrapping her arms around her.

"I know you're not ready. But I don't think anyone really is ready when they have a child."

"You were." Sarah laughed at the girl's comment.

"I was anything but when Luke came into my life! Sure, I was grown up, with a job and a house, but I'd never dealt with a child before. Luke may have looked like a teenager, but he was a newborn, always asking questions, doing and touching things he shouldn't. I had to watch him constantly! I had no idea what I was doing; everyday was something new."

"Really?" Rani asked. Sarah nodded.

"I almost got him killed in his first few days living with me! We were in the kitchen and I was making breakfast. Luke was talking a mile a minute about something and I wasn't totally paying attention. I turned around to serve Luke his eggs and he was gone. There was a loud honking outside and I remember dropping the pan and dashing outside. Luke had almost been hit by a passing car on his way to Maria's to retrieve a book! Once I realized he was alright and apologized to the couple in the car, I had to explain to him that you had to check before crossing the road. Poor Luke, he was terribly upset; he didn't realize that I needed to know where he was or that he needed to look before crossing. It was then that I truly understood what being a mother entailed; and I do still struggle sometimes."

"I just…this baby's entire life relies on me. I have to raise and am responsible for a whole other life! Everything I do will impact my child! I'm only sixteen! And that book-that book tells me what is right and what is wrong. I feel like that if I don't follow what the book says then I've ruined the baby's life!" Rani said, becoming more worked up the longer she talked. Sarah Jane squeezed Rani to her tightly.

"That book is not filled with rights and wrongs. It's just a guide; things that most pregnant women go through when they're pregnant. And I don't think you can ruin your baby's life by not following a book to the letter. Besides, life doesn't follow a book; very rarely will your baby follow the book." Rani sniffled.

"So I'm not going to ruin his life?" She asked meekly. Sarah smiled softly.

"You won't ruin his life." She reassured, before doing a double take. "He?" Sarah asked, cocking an eyebrow. Rani gave small smile.

"He; I think it's a boy." Rani confided. Sarah Jane smiled brightly before nodding her head back towards the couch.

"You don't have to read the book if you don't want to; I just thought it would be a nice thing to have. I know I'm learning a lot." Rani nodded slowly.

"I will read it; I'm just not ready right now." Sarah Jane hugged Rani close.

"I understand."

"Where did you get the books?" Rani asked after a moment.

"I researched maternity shops in the area and went over to after lunch. You should have seen the store clerk's face when I walked in! The store was filled with very young women and this clerk looked at me with such distaste. She didn't offer to help me and by the time I got to the counter with two copies of the book you could tell she was trying her hardest to look friendly."

"Was she really terrible?"

"Not so much terrible as snooty. I gave her the books and as she scanned them, she asked, 'Who are these for?'" Sarah let out a small chuckle. "I was so tempted to say, 'They're for me' or 'They're for the pregnant teenage girl who was kicked out of her home that I'm taking care of.' I was so tempted to say those things just to see the look on her face." Rani laughed along with Sarah Jane. "Instead, I said, 'They're for my daughter.' Immediately the woman's attitude changed. She suddenly became super friendly; people like that just irk me. Clerks should be pleasant to all customers that walk in, not just the young pregnant ones." Now it was Sarah Jane who was getting worked up. Rani sighed and hugged Sarah tightly.

"Let it go." She laughed. "Why did you buy two though? We could've just shared." Sarah Jane shrugged. "I read slowly; I like to get all the facts. Besides, I figure that as long as Luke doesn't marry an alien, I can give this book to his future wife when she gets pregnant."

"I can't imagine Luke getting married."

"Why not? He's very smart and very attractive." Sarah defended.

"I just don't see Luke settling down. When I imagine him all grown up, he's one of the world's brightest scientists, travelling from place to place, maybe from planet to planet, and he doesn't have a wife or any children." Sarah Jane smiled.

"I like that possible future, but what about me? I need someone to keep me occupied when you're all grown up and gone. Grandchildren would keep me occupied."

"Seriously? You want grandkids?" Rani asked, her voice filled with disbelief. Sarah shrugged and looked up at the roof.

"Maybe. One day. I don't know yet." Sarah let out sigh. "Besides, it's not my choice. It's up to Luke and his future wife."

"You can treat my baby like he's your grandchild if you'd like." Rani offered. Sarah Jane shook her head.

"I'm not ready to be a grandparent yet! I'm still getting the hang of being a mother." Rani leaned away from Sarah and propped herself against the stairs, resting her elbows on the top step.

"Let me know when you get the hang of it and give me all of your notes; I'm going to need them."


	6. Chapter 6

Accidents Chapter 6

* * *

_7 weeks later…November 18__th__ 2009_

"Sixty eight; not your best work Rani." Mrs. Fields said quietly, handing Rani back her latest science test. Rani stared at the number and felt tears come to her eyes. She quickly swiped them away.

"Damn hormones." She muttered.

Lately, Rani was feeling sick off and on throughout the day; she was felt sore some days, mood swings and hormones were commonplace, and she was always tired, no matter how early she went to bed. Rani tried studying for the test over the last couple of nights, but every time she felt like she was getting somewhere and the facts were sinking in, Rani felt herself overcome with the need to sleep and more often than not, the need won out. On multiple occasions, Rani woke up while Sarah Jane was tucking her in or she woke up the next morning tucked in bed, her books in a neat pile beside her book bag.

Rani looked at the test once more before violently shoving it into her knapsack, trying to forget about the bad mark. Science was the last period of the day and Rani spent the rest of the class furiously scribbling down the notes, determined to burn them into her mind. The bell rang and everyone stood, filing out of the room. Just as Rani reached the door, her teacher flagged her down.

"Rani, can I speak with you for a minute?" Rani sighed inwardly and made her way over to the desk. The teacher looked at her expectantly and Rani put her bag down and leaned against one of the desks. Her teacher opened her arms, making a questioning gesture.

"What's up?" She asked. "Your last two tests and last assignment were done very poorly. Your grade is slipping, Rani. But I know you're a smart girl; I want to know what's going on so I can help you." Rani looked her teacher straight in the eye. She had been dreading this moment for three months; the moment when someone realized something was off about her.

"I'm fine." Rani lied, shrugging. "I've just been really tired lately." Mrs. Fields looked at her, unconvinced.

"Are you sure? I could talk to your father-"

"No!" Rani cried before she could stop herself. She slapped a hand over her mouth and stared at her teacher with wide eyes. Her teacher's eyes widened as well before she leaned forward, hands clasped in front of her. Mrs. Fields' eyes softened as she looked Rani over carefully.

"Is everything alright? At home, I mean. Because if there were, you could tell me Rani." Rani twiddled her fingers together quickly.

"I…um…I have to go…" She mumbled hurriedly, before grabbing her bag and dashing from the room.

"Rani! Wait!" Ms. Fields called, standing and rushing to the doorway. Rani didn't listen; she kept moving, pushing past students, ploughing her way to her locker. Rani grabbed everything she needed and bolted for the front entrance, not bothering to wait for Luke or Clyde.

Rani was able to keep herself collected until she reached Bannerman Road. At the sight of her old home, Rani felt tears beginning to surface. She rushed across the street and used the key Sarah Jane had given her to get past the front door. From there she charged up the stairs and down the hallway. Rani pushed past and almost knocked down Sarah Jane, who entered the hallway upon hearing someone enter the house.

"Rani, what the…!" But Rani didn't stop. She barged into her room and slammed the door behind her, locking it before sliding to the floor and letting a sob finally escape.

* * *

Luke and Clyde rushed home from school when they couldn't find Rani. They made their way to the house swiftly and once inside, they dropped their bags and for once headed upstairs before they went to the kitchen. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Luke and Clyde spotted Sarah Jane sitting on the floor at the end of the hallway in front of Rani's door. Sarah had her head leaned against the door and she seemed to be murmuring to someone on the other side.

"Mum, what are you doing?" Luke asked as the boys approached Sarah. Sarah Jane sighed deeply.

"I was upstairs and heard someone come into the house. I checked the time and realized it was probably you three home from school. I came to greet you when Rani came charging up the stairs. She moved so quickly she almost knocked me down. She ran past me and into her room. She's locked the door and won't come out; she's terribly upset about _something_, but won't tell me what." Clyde and Luke looked at each other and smiled.

"Well that's a relief!" Clyde said smiling. Sarah Jane looked at the boys confused and Clyde began to clarify.

"When classes ended, Luke and I went to Rani's locker. We waited for several minutes and when she didn't show, we went searching for her. We found her friend Alice and she said she hadn't seen her. Luke suggested we go see if she was still in her last period class. Luckily, Rani's science teacher was still in the classroom." Luke cut in and continued the story.

"Ms. Fields said she had talked to Rani after class and during their talk, Rani picked up her bag and ran out. Ms. Fields said she seemed really upset about something."

"Luke and I were worried about her; we rushed home because we didn't know if she was here or if we had to go out searching for her." Clyde continued. Sarah nodded and stood.

"I haven't been able to get her to talk to me; why don't you two try? I've got to do something important." Clyde nodded, took Sarah's place on the floor and began talking to Rani. Luke sat down as well, adding reassuring tidbits when he could.

* * *

Sarah Jane marched across the street determined. She strode up to the Chandra's front door, knocked on the door and waited. Within a few seconds the door flung open to reveal Gita. Gita's smiling face disappeared the minute she saw Sarah Jane. Gita moved to shut the door, but Sarah stepped in her way.

"We need to talk." Sarah uttered sternly. Gita stared at her wide eyed before nodding quickly and silently, moving out of the way. Sarah Jane moved into the living area and spun to look Gita, hands on hips. Gita walked over to the kitchen, waving her arms about.

"Sarah, would you like a cup of-"

"No. I'm not here for a cup of tea, Gita and you know that." Gita nodded slowly and came back to the living area, sitting on the arm of the couch. The two stayed locked in silence until Sarah couldn't take it anymore.

"We need to talk about Rani." Sarah stated. Gita shifted uncomfortably.

"Your daughter has been living with me for three months now and aside from the time you gave me the rest of her things, you haven't once checked up on Rani!"

"I-I can't-" Gita muttered, shifting once again.

"Why not? Just because Haresh says so? I thought you had more backbone, Gita."

"He's my husband!" Gita cried loudly, standing. Sarah Jane stepped forward.

"And she is your daughter!"

"Haresh is my husband and I am faithful to him! He says that Rani is not welcome in our home anymore and I trust his judgement. Besides, Rani has you!" Sarah Jane clenched and unclenched her fists.

"YOUR daughter is upstairs at my house and has locked herself in her room. She won't let anyone in, and she is terribly upset about something. If you ask me, she really needs her Mum right now."

"You can be there for her; be a Mum to her!" Gita shouted. "You are brilliant Mum to Luke, I'm sure you will be just as brilliant to Rani; you already treat her like a daughter and you two already have a special bond!"

"That doesn't matter! I'm not her mother, you are! And she needs YOU, not me!"

"You've done this before; you can help just as well as I can!" Sarah Jane was shaking with the anger that fueled her.

"I've never done this before! Dealt with a pregnancy or a baby? I adopted Luke!" Gita seemed taken aback by Sarah Jane's admission, so Sarah continued.

"I've never dealt with this but you have! And you are exactly what Rani needs! Her Mum!" Gita was about to respond when the back door opened.

"Gita, I'm home!" A male voice called. Both women froze as Haresh entered the living area. As he entered, Haresh stared at Sarah Jane with confusion.

"Sarah Jane? What are you doing here?" Sarah Jane took a deep breath and relaxed her stance; she was not here to talk with Haresh. Sarah was smart enough to know that she would not get Haresh to budge on his view of Rani. If Sarah Jane was going to get Rani to reconnect with her family she had to get through to Gita. So instead of starting a fight with Haresh, Sarah Jane shrugged slightly.

"I was just, ah, talking with Gita."

"But she was just on her way out." Gita added, a twinge of bitterness in her voice. Sarah Jane headed to the door and Gita followed her. She opened the door and Sarah exited the house, turning to look at Gita once more.

"You're her Mum now, Sarah." Gita said hoarsely, before closing the door. Sarah Jane stood there speechless for several moments before she remembered she had a very distressed young girl at home that she needed to help.

* * *

"Well? Any luck?" Sarah asked, coming up the stairs. Clyde nodded and continued talking while Luke stood up and walked over to Sarah Jane.

"Rani said her teacher asked to talk to her after class; Ms. Fields has noticed Rani's grade has been slipping." Sarah Jane looked at Luke, a little distressed.

"Her grade is slipping? Since when? Why?" She asked. Luke turned and walked back over to Clyde. Clyde murmured something to the door, nodded and whispered something to Luke who nodded and walked back over to Sarah.

"She says she hasn't done well on her last few tests and assignments because she's tired all of the time and no matter how hard she studies, when it comes time to take the test, she can't remember anything she learned; it's like everything just falls out of her head." Sarah Jane nodded.

"I've heard of that; it's called something like 'baby brain.' The body diverts more energy to the baby so sometimes remembering facts can be difficult." Sarah paused. "Is that the only thing that's troubling her?" Luke shook his head.

"Because of her grade the teacher knows something isn't right; Rani wouldn't tell her what was wrong and so Ms. Fields said she could talk to Mr. Chandra, at which Rani said, 'No!' and now the teacher thinks there's something wrong at home. It didn't help that Rani rushed out when Ms. Fields asked about it further." Luke looked back at Clyde, who shook his head. Luke faced Sarah Jane again.

"That's all Rani was willing to tell us. She's broken into a series of unintelligible sobs; Clyde doesn't understand if she's saying more or just crying." Sarah Jane nodded and put a hand on Luke's shoulder before moving past him and coming to sit on the floor in front of Clyde.

"Why don't you boys go and get something to eat and I'll try to talk to her?" Clyde looked at Sarah unsure and she put her hand on his shoulder.

"We'll be fine. Go, eat." Clyde nodded and stood, following Luke down the hall and down the stairs. Sarah Jane leaned her head against the door and felt she heart throb painfully at the sound of Rani's sobs. Sarah placed her hand to the door.

"Rani, sweetheart, let me in so we can talk." Rani cried out something and Sarah tried her hardest understand the young girl but she couldn't make out what she was saying.

"Rani, calm down; I can't understand you're saying."

"GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT YOU NEAR ME! YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER SO STOP ACTING LIKE IT; I DON'T NEED YOU OR YOUR LOVE! WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?! I JUST WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!" Rani screamed clearly and loudly. Sarah Jane shot back from the door at the sound.

"Rani, I-"

"GO! I DON'T NEED YOU!" Sarah Jane sighed, defeated. She rose and shook off the hurt feeling Rani's words had cause before heading downstairs to join the boys.

"What was all that shouting?" Clyde asked when Sarah entered the kitchen. Sarah Jane scrubbed a hand over her face and started making herself a cup of tea.

"Rani's quite upset and I think it would be better if we left her alone for a while." She said simply. The boys nodded mutely and got out their homework.

* * *

Later that night after Clyde had gone home and dinner was over Luke sat snuggled on the couch watching the telly while Sarah crept upstairs with a tray of food in hand. She reached Rani's door and rapped against it quietly.

"Who is it?" A tired voice called from behind the door.

"It's Sarah Jane." Sarah replied softly.

"Come in." Sarah Jane gently gripped the doorknob and twisted it. The door opened and Sarah peeked her head in, spotting Rani curled up in bed under a mountain of covers.

"I brought you some dinner; I made grilled cheese and tomato soup." Sarah crossed the room and placed the tray on the side table before turning to leave. Rani shifted under the covers and sat up.

"Sarah Jane, wait." Sarah turned around to face the young girl.

"Yes?" She asked. Rani's hands fiddled with the blankets as she looked up Sarah sheepishly.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." Sarah Jane's expression softened and she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Oh, it's fine…" Sarah murmured, taking Rani's hand in her own. Rani shook her head and stared at their entwined hands.

"No, it's not. You were just trying to help me and I snapped at you." Sarah Jane rubbed her thumb across Rani's knuckles.

"It was just hormones." Sarah dismissed.

"No, no. I may have raging hormones, but that no reason to dismiss what I said. You can't just put all my behaviour up to hormones; it's no excuse. I said some rude things to you and I'm truly sorry. I didn't really mean what I said. You've been a Mum to me for the past three months and I am so grateful to you."

"Rani, it's nothing; it's what family does." Sarah Jane insisted, pulling Rani into a bear hug. "No, what I really care about is what got you so upset, because I highly doubt your teacher asking some awkward questions got you so upset you locked yourself away for an afternoon." Rani snuggled closer.

"This baby is leeching off me." She blurted suddenly but quietly. " I'm half tempted to not eat dinner just so it has less to feed on. I study, but I can never remember what I studied. I can't seem to ever get enough sleep, no matter how early I go to bed. I feel like I'm complaining all the time, which makes me angry beyond belief. And on top of it all, I can feel it."

"Feel it?" Sarah questioned, confusion evident. Rani took her hand and placed it on her lower abdomen, just above her pubic bone.

"Right there. Can you feel it? It's the beginning of my bump." Sarah Jane shrugged, moving her hand around slightly.

"I can't tell." She admitted.

"Well I can. I won't be able to hide it for much longer." Rani murmured sadly, tears becoming evident in her voice. The two sat in silence before Rani spoke again.

"I have to tell Brad." She muttered, brushing away the tears. Sarah Jane nodded silently.

"Yes, yes you do."

"And that is my first problem; do I tell Brad before the rumors start spreading, and hope he doesn't start the rumors, or do I wait until the rumors are proved true and then tell him?"

"Well, I think that Brad's feelings may be hurt if you wait to tell him."

"But he's not going to care about the baby, so why should I care about his feelings?" Sarah shrugged.

"You don't know; maybe he'll be more supportive than you thought."

"And if he's not? Can I trust that he won't start rumors about me?"

"What if you don't let them become rumors? What if when someone asks you, you just tell them the truth?"

"I can't do that!" Rani cried, desperation creeping through her voice.

"And why not?" Sarah Jane asked, slightly exasperated.

"That would give the whole student body reason to call me a slut, or even worse a whore!" Sarah Jane sat back, a shocked expression crossing her face.

"Rani!"

"It's true! The girls at school will call me that! It won't matter that I've never slept around or that I'm a good student and a good girl! Those words will filter throughout the school once word of my pregnancy gets out!" Tears began falling down Rani's cheeks more and more as she got more worked up and her hands started fiddling frantically with the blanket. Sarah Jane pulled her close and Rani buried her face in the crook of Sarah's neck.

"So this has what got you so upset…" She whispered, rubbing Rani's upper arm.

"No!" Rani cried. "It's not just that! I'm losing control! Of my emotions, of my body, of my image! I've lost my Mum and Dad, and who knows how many friends I'll lose when people find out!" Sarah Jane hugged Rani tight.

"You listen to me Rani Chandra! You are a brilliant girl and you don't need anyone at school to tell you otherwise! As cheesy as this may sound, if your friends abandon you when they find out, then they aren't truly your friends. Besides, you will always have Luke and Clyde."

"But I don't want Luke or Clyde! They're lovely, and I'm glad I will always have them, but I need some girlfriends!"

"What about me?" Rani shook her head.

"I love you Sarah Jane, but you're like my Mum! I can only talk to you about so much! I need some close girlfriends that I can talk to about things I can't or don't want to talk to you about."

"Like what?" Sarah asked.

"That's not the point; the point is that I need some of my friends to stand by me and I'm afraid that none of them will!" Sarah Jane sighed deeply.

"I wish I could guarantee that your friends will stand by you, but I honestly don't know if they will."


	7. Chapter 7

Accidents Chapter 7

**In which Rani decides to tell Brad…and Luke and Clyde also have a talk with Brad…**

**Sorry I've been away for so long, I got caught up in _Murdoch Mysteries_! Chapter may be a little sloppy!**

* * *

_One week later…November 25__th__, 2009_

The lunch bell rang and the whole class rose to leave the classroom. Rani stood as well, walking past the many desks and past her teacher, who she had not spoken to at all in the past week. Rani marched through the halls, determined. She was on a mission to find Brad; today she would make him aware of his impending fatherhood.

She spotted Brad heading to the cafeteria and Rani rushed towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Brad!" Brad turned to face her, a smile coming over his face as his eyes ran up and down her body. Rani shifted uncomfortably under his gaze and Brad waved away his friends before finally looking Rani in the eye.

"Rani, what can I do for you?" Rani swallowed and took a deep breath.

"Could I talk to you alone for a minute?" Brad turned back to look at his friends, who were smiling impishly. He nodded and Rani led him away to a secluded hallway.

"What do you want Rani?" Brad asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"Do you remember Brianna Gomez's party a couple of months ago?" Brad smirked and nodded.

"Of course I do. Do you?" Rani bit her tongue to keep the words from tumbling out of her mouth. She wanted yell at Brad and tell him of course she couldn't remember the party; he had gotten her so drunk she couldn't remember having sex and had no idea where she was when she awoke the next morning. But instead of exploding at him, Rani just cut straight to the point.

"I'm pregnant." She told him, instinctively putting a protective hand on her stomach. Brad's cocky smile dropped off his face and he visibly paled.

"W-what?" He stuttered.

"I'm pregnant; you got me pregnant when we had sex at Brianna's party."

"But…but I had…"

"Protection? Yeah well, it didn't work!" Brad ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.

"No, no, no. You're wrong; it's not mine, it can't be…"

"I haven't had sex with anyone but you! Who else could it possibly be?" Brad's face crumpled for a moment before anger took over.

"You're lying! You're trying to pin a baby that's not mine on me!"

"Believe what you want! The only reason I told you was because I thought you deserved to know!" Rani cried.

"Well, I don't want to!" He screamed. His eyes dropped to stare at her stomach. "I don't care what you do with it; if you want to abort it, that's fine by me. If you give it away, that's great! Just…" Brad looked away for a moment, trying to compose himself. He turned back to Rani and pointed a finger at her stomach. "I want nothing to do with that thing. Absolutely nothing and you will get nothing from me! Not a penny!" He shouted before stomping away. Rani stood alone in the empty hallway for several minutes before joining her friends in the cafeteria, for once she didn't feel the urge to cry. Instead, she felt an overwhelming sense of calm.

* * *

Luke and Clyde waited until the end of the school day to bombard Brad. They stood by the door and waited, snatching him away from the crowding of exiting students. Clyde grasped Brad's collar and flung him into the school's brick wall.

"Did you have a chat with Rani today?" He asked in a harsh whisper. Brad's face curled in disgust and he gave a forced chuckle.

"Yeah; she accused me of knocking her up."

"What did you say in response?" Luke asked.

"I told her she was bloody bonkers and she wasn't getting a dime from me!" Clyde and Luke shared a look and Clyde shoved Brad harder against the wall.

"Are you planning to tell people?" Luke asked. Brad shook his head.

"Are you mad?! If she really is pregnant, I don't want people thinking I did it." Clyde turned to Luke and they shared another look. Clyde shrugged and released Brad. Brad quickly scrambled away and Clyde smiled over at Luke. The boys quickly bursting into a fit of giggles.

"I didn't think it was going to be that easy!"


End file.
